1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a magnifying observation apparatus for photographing and displaying a magnified image such as a microscope, a method for observing a magnified image, and a computer-readable medium storing instructions for operating the magnifying observation apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Today, optical microscopes using optical lens or digital microscopes are in use as magnifying observation apparatus which display magnified micro-objects. A microscope is equipped with a light receiving element such as a CCD for electrically reading, per pixel arranged two-dimensionally, a reflected light or a transmitted light from an observation subject fixed to an observation subject fixing section incident via an optical system. The microscope displays on a display section such as a display an image electrically read using a CCD (for example see the Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-214790).
It is a common practice that an operator uses an imaging system such as a microscope to manually measure the dimensions of an image on the display. For example, when measuring a dimension from one section to another on the screen, the operator specifies a single point on the screen with a pointing device such as a mouse and then specifies another point to perform measurement of the distance between the two points.
However, in case dimensions are measured on the display by way of manual operation, there arise variations in the measurement results depending on the person who performed measurement. While an operator specifies the measurement points while watching the screen in manual operation, which points are to be specified as measurement points depends on the operator. For example, when a boundary is specified, which section is specified as a boundary depends on the operator. This results in variations between persons who perform measurement. Such variations cause measurement errors thus degrading the reproducibility of measurement. In particular, in case the diameter of a circle is to be measured, specification of measurement points is likely to be subject to variations.